David eoijssbau



AD, USSEAU. '.Gecrc GM; Lighting Burner. New Qq P'amed New. 30 i880.,

imitan rares Parent renin,

DAVID ROUSSEAU, OF NEN YGBK, N. Y.

ELECTRlCiS-LGHTNG BURNR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'Letters '.Fatent No. 235,024, dated November 30, 1880.

v ApplicatonfiledJuly28,1850. (Model.) i

To all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID ROUSSEAU, of New York city, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric GasLig-hting Burners, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to those burners in which an electric current from a battery is momentarily established through two terminals or electrodes on the burner, one of which is movable by the hand to make and break contact with the other, whereby a spark is produced in the issuing gas-jet to ignite the saine. In burners of this class heretoi'bre it has been usual to have one electrode rigid and fixed close to the gas-jet,'so that it remains in the iiarne when the jet is ignited, and hence requires to be made ot platinum to resist the heat and oxidation which would injure other metals; and furthermore themovaole electrode or wiper has usually been provided with some elastic or springy end to engage with the fixed electrode, and thus make the necessary pre longed contact and sudden break therewith.

Now, my invention is distinguished in that I e1nploy,.in connection with the movable electrode or wiper, which is preferably rigid, an elastic or springy or yielding electrode non mally retired trom the burner-jet and out of the range ot' its iianie, but in the path of motion of the tip of the wiper, so that when the same is moved to light the gas it makes contact with the elasticelectrode, bends orinoves the same over'the gas-jenend then breaking contact produces the spark and lights the gas, after which both parts retire to their normal .position out of range ofthe i'lame. Hence both electrodes may be made ot' cheap metals, are not liable to injury, and are kept inal condition to produce an eti'ective spark, which-points constitute the leading advantages of myinvention.

v My intention embodies minor yfeatures ot' construction, as hereinafter set i'orth.

Figure l oi' the annexed drawings presents an elevation 0t` a burner embodying my inf vention, both electrodes heilig shown retired into their normal positions. Fig. 2 represents a slightly-modied construction, and.. shows 'the electrodes on the point ot' breaking contact oyer the gas-jet. Figs. 3 and 4 represent further modifications. Fig'. 5 gives .a crosssection online .fr ot' Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 shows Various t'orms for the elastic or yielding electrode. i if In the arrangement and operation ot' burners ot' this class one pole ot' the batterysay the positive-conneots directly to the system` of gas-pipes on which the burners are fixed, and hence this pole is in connection with the movabie electrode or wiper a, which is pivoted on and in metallic connection with the burner, while the negative pole connects by separate wires to the terminal b, which is fixed to but insulated from the burner, and also provided at its tip with the opposite electrode, c. This opposite electrode, c, is according to my in vention elastic, springy, or yielding, its elasticity or tendency being such that it constantly tends to retire from the gasiet, so as to remain well out of' range of the flame when the jetis ig nited. In Fig. 1 it consists ot' a piece of spring- Wire, preferably German silver, which is coiled at one end into a 'Few spiral turns andiixed to the terminal b, while the opposite end projects saliently upward, and inclines awayfrom the tipvof the burner, out etrange of the flame, and lies in front of the tip of the wiper al 'lhc wiper a has the preferred and `usual form ot' a bent lever, is preferably made ot' stii' sheetbrass and rigid throughout, its long arm projecting upward on an outward incline, with its'tip resting a little behind the -elastic electrode c, while its short arm is provided withl a pendent cord or chain, @which may be pulled by the hand to cause the wiper to contact against the elastic electrode, bend the same over the gasjet, and then passing over the sarneibreak contact and produce the Aspark just on the edge ofthe gas-jette ignite the same; (sec Fig. 2,) afterwhich both` partsV again retireA out of range of the liiame, as seen' in Fig. `l. It may thussbe readily seen that as the elec-V trode c always retires from the flame it is Y not subject to'overheating or oxidation, and may be made of some cheap metal, such as brass Y or Germanj silver, instead ot the expensive' platinum-.heretofore used, and is moreover at ways ina condition to produce an energetic.

roo spark; and, furtherniore,`as the wiperl a is ,made of one rigid part, its construction is simplified, thus 'producing a. cheap and very struction'- is iiotoniyV- cheap and simple, but

enables lmy-deviceto be furnished separate from the'burner, which may then be readily attached tofanyof' the ordinary burners in use in a .quickand convenient manner.

I propose, (also,y however, toconstruct the burner specially for the permanent attachment of my devices.

The `tip of 'the wiping-Iever a is bent at right angles to engage the elastic electrode andvthi's bend is inclined at the back edge, as'

seen in Fig. 1,so that it will pass-over and be,

hindjtlie elastic wire on the return movement".l in` an easy manner. The-return movement of i the lever is e'ected by aspring, 3, which, in

easeofv-Fig. 1, is made of wirecoiled around ,the hub'g, with one hooked end engaged with ito cause the wiper to retreat, but is pulled the ixed projection t,- an'd the other hooked end pressing against thelon'g arm of the lever. In Fig. 2 the springis a'ilat bowed one, having one end hookedf'over a Yfixed piu, t', thence curvedover the hubfg, and bearing at the opposits enden a pin, u, fixed to thelever.

To limit themove'ment of the lever in either v 'direction theends of a notch, o, formed therein, s'trik'es'the'ixed projections t or t,xas will he understood from the drawings. 1 t

Itlmaylbe readily observed that the elastic or yielding electrode and the wiping-electrode may be l:arranged landv constructed in various ways` without 'departing from the essential features of my invention.- Thus in Fig.) the spiral of the elastic electrode is placed horizontal, and isfix'ed 4to the terminal b, as best seen ati in Fign. 1 -In Fig. 2 the spiral is placed with its acids erminal which in thiscase isa round wire clasped in a cleftsocket in the ring e, as seen in Fig."5, and'ofcourseinsulated from the ring, asiIIuStrated.- Instead, however, of having the .wire .ofl the elastic electrode-bent spi-v rally, as in Figs. 1,2, and f3, -it ymaybe. lbent zigzag, as-at-"h in Fig. A6, or.a simple straight,

dat, or round spring-wire may be used, iixed at one end andelastically free atthe other end to engage with the wiper, as at z in Fig. 6. Again, instead. of either of" the foregoing' forms, this part may be made in the form of a` pivoted tongue, one arm oi' which is free to engage the wiper, while the other arm is connected witha spring which constantly tends to give it the same direction or position as in i the case with Figs. 1 and 2, as seen at k, hm,

and nin Fig. 6, where different forms and arrangements of springs are shown. .Furthermore, as the essential feature of this part ot' 'my invention lies in having the electrodec yielding in the direction'of the wipers movement, with a constant tendency to retire from the burner-jet and normallyremainso, hence this electrode may, without any departure .from the principle lof my invention, be in 1tself rigid, but pivotedsay, about midwaywith its lower arm weighted, and its sparkingarm normally retired from the burner,but free to engage with the wiper in substantially the same manner as in the other forms illustrated.

The'springy Vconstruction is, however, always to be preferred.

' In Fig. `1 the wiping-lever isrepiesented asA formed oi'one piece of sheet or ot' cast metal, while in Fig. .3 the main part is represented as cast, while the long arm is formed ot' a bent wire inserted in the cast part.

Instead of having the wiper in the form otf a lever, it may be made in the form of a. rotary cranked wire, as seen in Fig. 3, the cranked' portion oi\vhich engages the yielding'electrode with the same effect as in the case of Figs. 1'and2, while the straight or axial part is provided with a projecting pin, o, which is engaged by'a spiral s lot in a sliding sleeve, p, which is normally raisedv by aspringl down to produce the spark by the pull-cord r.

",A cross-head on the'sleeve is guided bya rod,

tv, parallel with its axis, so as to prevent the turningof the sleeve. l

In Fig. 4 the negative electrode is rigid and fixed close tothe gas-jet in the old way; but

vthe same form of cranked wiper is used as in Fig. 3, except that its cranked end carries an elastic spiral` to engage .with the negative elect-rode and make and break the contact in the required manner. specially recommend this latter form. v What I claim as my invention is- I do not, however,V

1. Au electricv'gas-ligh-ting burner 'provided w with two electrodes attached thereto, one zbeing movable and provided with an operating device extending from the-burner, and the 'other being elasticV or yieldingand normally 'retired from, the jet, while the movable electrode is arranged to contact with the yielding gas-jet, and there break contact to produce the. igniting-spark, after which both parts retire from the jet while remaining upon the burner,

electrode, bend or move) it 0`ver or into the I on' wire, the cranked portion of which makes and breaks contact-'with the opposite electr'ode, while the.' axial part is impelled-by a rotating device, substantially as herein shown and described.

i DAVID ROUSSEAU.

Witnesses:`

EDWARD H. WALES, CHAs. M. HIGGINS.

irs' 

